Knitting-machine needle



Patented Nov, 14, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PATRICK P. LA MONTAGNE, OF BOURBONNAIS, ILLINOIS, ASSIG-NOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 'IO POPE MACHINE COMPANY, OF KANKAKEE, ILLINOIS, A

CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

KNITTING-MACHINE NEEDLE.

Application filed December 7, 1917. Serial No. 205,981.

To ci! whom it may concern: p

Bc it known that I, PATRICK I). lin MoN- '.rAoNn, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Bourbonnais, county olf Kankakee, State ot Illinois, have invented an Improvement in Knitting-Machine Needles, ot which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

rThis invention relates to a knitting machine and particularly to the needle. The needle is ci the type in which the hook member and latch member are separate members, that is, physically independent and separate from each other although coi-acting to perform the required looping functions.

t is the objectI ot the invention to provide needle ot this type in which the needle members shall be projected to forward position vith great accuracy, and in which both members oit the needle shall be so constructed as to be rapidly, accurately and inexpensively made, and largely by punching or stamping operations.

rlhese and other features and objects ot the invention will appear more fully from the accompanying description and drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

The drawings represent so much ol a knitting machine is necessary to a disclosure oit the invention.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a central vertical cross section olf a portion oit the dial ot an ordinary type oit knitting machine with the preferred form of needles embodying the invention in position therein;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a preferred form oi needle with the hook member shown in vertical cross section and with the parts in casting off position;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but with the parts shown in forward projected or yarn receiving position;

Fig. i is a plan view of a section of the construction shown in 'Figure 1 with the cams and parts above the needle removed;

Fig. 5 is a view in vertical cross section ot a portion ot a needle cylinder with a needle embodying the present invention adapted ior use therein.

rlhe needle oi. this invention is oiI the general type disclosed inthe patents to Pope and Randall No. 1,096,946, granted May 19, 1914, and No. 1,2t182, granted lf ctober 2, 1917, wherein the needle is composed of two members, a hook member moving in a slot formed in the needle bed and a separate latch member extending through a slot in the hook member and having a movement relative to the hook member to bring the point o'lr the latch into and out ot co-oifieration with the hook, and wherein the latch member projects into and moves in a second slot formed in the needle bed beneath the slot tor the hook member. In this type ot needle movement is imparted to one of the members, preferably the hook member, by a cam such as the usual cam employed lor operating knitting machine needles and a retarding friction is applied to the other member, such as the latch. member, preferably by causing it to bind slightly in its slotA The present invention is more particularly concerned with the form ot needles used in the dial ot a knitting machine because the problems arising from the limitations ot space and or' restriction of movement are more diiiicult but the main principles ot the invention are equally applicable to the cyl.- inder needle, and both forms are herein illustrated.

It is highly important that the hook and latch members shall be accurately positioned both with respect to each other and with respect to the needle bed in the 'forward or projected position. The parts ot the needle in moving to the forward or projected position must be moved positively and accurately. This accurate positioning and movement is secured in the present invention by providing co-oper'ating shoulders on the shanks ot the hook and latch members which iiirmed by punching or stamping operations thus insuring accuracy of relation between the shoulder on the hook member and the hook and the shoulder on the latch member and the point ot the latch. In the manufacture ot knitting machine needles the usual slot through the body ot the needle or the hook member is formed by a sawing operation and the shoulders resulting from this sawing; operation vary in position and in a series of needles do not occupy exactly the same relation with respect to the hook so that such shoulders produced by such a sawing operation cannot be depended upon when accuracy of needle movement is required.

The difference in accuracy between shoulders formed by a punching` or stamping operation in the shanlrs of the members as herein. provided and those formed by a sawing operation is a very substantial one. Accuracy of' positioningy and movement is of the highest importance especially in con nection with the dial needle. The yarn is fed into a very limited space between the end of the latch point and the point of the hook. lf' the hook and latch members are not accurately placed in yarn receiving position the yarn may not be caught by the hook or may feed onto the latch and be cast off without making a stitch. Furthermore, if the latch be not projected to the proper position the yarn of the preceding stitch may not ride past the point or tip of the latch and as a result would not be cast off upon the retracting` movement but would slide under and be caught by the hoolr. ln the case of the dial needles also the yarn is fed to the dial needles by the cylinder needles which pull the yarn down onto the dial needles and must pull it within narrow limits so that accurate positioning of the dial needles is especially important in the yarn rcceiving1 position. Furthermore, especially in the finer lgrades of worlr the number of dial needles is Agreat and the dimensions small, but it is essential, and even more essential as the number of the dial needles increases and their dimensions decrease, that all of the needles shall be in exactly the same position to insure the casting' off of the last stitch and the taking' on of the new stitch without casting oil'. lt will thus be seen that the arrangement f punched or otherwise accurately formed shoulders on the hook vand latch members co-operating` to secure the proper relative forward or projecting movement and to bring` the members accurately into forward, projected or yarn receiving position, is of the greatest importance.

The construction of the members with similar shoulders cra-operating on the reverse or retracting movement especially in the case of the dial needles would be difficult if not impossible because such a shoulder in the hook member would leave insufficient area of wall surface of the slot in the hook member through which the latch member projects to afford proper support and guidance for the needle members relatively to each other. Accuracy of co-operation in the retractmg movement is not of great 1mportance because it is only necessary on the retracting movement that the members shall be in such position that the latch point shall cover the tip of the hook and shallinsure casting off.

The hook member projecting through the slot in the latch member has a movement longitudinally of the hoolr member and also transversely of the hook member to cause the point of the latch to move into and out of co-operative relation with the tip of the hoolr. ln order that this movement may take place with the minimum amount of wear and friction the guiding surfaces of the two members are herein each given extended straight formation so that during this movement two flat surfaces are for the most time in contact throughout.

The tip of the hook is provided on its outer surface with a small recess or groove to receive the point of the latch when the needle is retracted. As thus arranged the point of the latch is supported at its outer or free end in the recess of the tip of the hook andv at its base on the inclined'gguidinp surface so that the heavy strain of the yarn loop is taken up by a bri dn'ing action of the latch point. Y

rlhe provision of the recess in the tip of the hook also enables the total cross section of the needle in the casting off position to be at the minimum because the point of the latch lits into this recess. This is particularly desirable in line work. This arrange'- ment of tbe parts also eliminates anv space between the overlapping` latch point and hook tip through which the yarn mav slip back beneath the hook. u

ln the construction illustrated in Fins. l to Ll inclusive dial needles embodying` these Anatures of the inventum are disclosed.

The bed l, of a dial sulV ported on the vertical stud or shaft 2 is shown as provided with narrow radial slots l to receive the latch .members and wider superimposed slots Lilto receive the hook members of the needle. The usual cam is shown with its cum slot for operating` the butts of the hook members to zgive the necessary movement.

ln the form of the needle Aillustr-ated the hook member is thus positively moved in and out or back and forth by 'the cam 5 and the latch member receives its movement from the hook member. A retardinrg action given to the latch member by any suitable means and for that purpose thelmeans disclosed in the Pope and Randall Patent No. 1,241,882 supra7 and more particularly shown in Fig. of said patent7 is illustrated. This comprises a Vflat thin leaf spring' G located in the slot 3 alongside of the shank of the latch member and provided with a lateral bend by which it serves to press the shank of the latch member into engagement with the walls of the slot 3l.

usual butt 26 co-operating with the usual cam 27 While the tail 28 of the latch member is extended, but otherwise the construction of the parts is similar to that already described.

This application is restricted to the invention involving the punching construction covered by the claims. Other and independent inventions depending upon the construction of the needle independent oit the punched features are made the subject my later application No. 263,726 filed November 22, 1918.

Having fully described my invention, what l claim as neW and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A separate latch knitting machine needle comprising a hook member provided with a driving edge, a latch member, and means for securing relative longitudinal bodily movements oi said members to effect the co-operative action of the hook and latch, the said means comprising co-operating punched shoulders, one on the hoolr member accurately positioned with respect to said driving edge, and the other on the latch menlber accurately positioned Wi th respect to the point oit the latch, whereby upon the projection successively of the hook members ot a series ot said needles by their drivu ing edges to yarn-receiving position the projected position of the latch member oit each needle is accurately and uniformly secured.

2. A separate latch knitting machine needle comprising relatively, bodily, longitudinally movable hoolr and latch members, the hook member provided with a driving edge and a latch projecting shoulder both punched in accurate position VWith respect to the hook and the latch memberprovided With a projecting shoulder punched in accurate position with respect to the point of the latch, whereby upon the projection successively oli the hoolr members ot a series o1c said needles by their driving edges to yarn receiving position the projected position of the latch member of each needle is accurately and uniformly secured.

3. A series of separate latch knitting machine needles each comprising relatively bodily longitudinally movable hook and latch members, means for securing the said relative movements of the said members to efiect the co-operative action olf the hook and latch comprising driving shoulders one on the hook member and one on the latch member termed by a punching operation and insuring accurate and uniform projected position vand relation of the members in all oit the needles.

d, A knitting machine needle comprising a longitudinally slotted hook member provided With a driving edge, a separate latch member provided with a head passing through the slot oit the hoolr member, and means tor securing relative longitudinal and transvere bodily movements of said members to ell'oct the co-opera'tive action, ot the hoolr and latch, the said means comprisingv PAIRICK ff). LA MQNTAGNE. 

